Laura Johnston, Northeast Ohio Media Group

About Me:

A graduate of Miami and Columbia universities who once covered Cuyahoga County government, I now manage community coverage for the Northeast Ohio Media Group.
Contact me at ljohnston@plaind.com, or follow me @lauraejjohnston.

The 175 disciplines were alsp suspensions and firings, but outside those six departments -- for example, employees who were formerly under the auditor, treasurer, sheriff and other formerly elected officials, rather than the commissioners. Since the county does not have numbers from last year for those departments, there is no comparison.

Because Monday was a federal holiday, I could not get the police records until today. To answer your questions, Kohlstrand was pulled over on West 6th Street, near Lakeside Avenue, at 10:10 p.m. on Dec. 21, according to the ticket. The officer first observed Kohlstrand's 2005 Ford Mustang with a flat tire.

Kohlstrand's blood alcohol level was .16, according to the ticket. He had a previous drunk driving charge, in 1991, the ticket says.

The county fiscal office is currently reappraising all county property, as part of a six-yearl reappraisal mandated by teh state. New values will change tax bills only slightly, since most tax rates will adjust based on the total value of property in each taxing district. There is no adjustment for population.

I want to correct your assertion, though. Neither state law nor the land bank's bylaws give the Cuyahoga County Mayors and City Managers Association any right to appoint any of the land bank's seven directors. Under the bylaws (which were updated in March), FitzGerald, the county treasurer and the council have their own seats, plus the right to appoint two members.

While Mayor Welo said the former county commissioners in 2009 allowed the mayors and managers association to choose their appointments, I talked to the association president, who could not recall that.

I just wanted to point out that the administrative portion of the budget pays for other services the commission provides, including eight employees who prepare claims for veterans, so they can receive the federal benefits they're entitled to.

Commissioner Frank Pocci says about one-third of the commission's mission is providing direct financial assistance. Veterans in need can get up to nine months' help.

Follow Us

cleveland.com is powered by Plain Dealer Publishing Co. and Northeast Ohio Media Group. All rights reserved (About Us).The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Northeast Ohio Media Group LLC.